The most famous sporting man of his time was Tregonwell Frampton, Esq., of Moreton, Dorsetshire, 'the Father of the Turf,' who was keeper of her Majesty's running horses at Newmarket--a post he had filled in the time of William III., and which he continued to hold under Georges I. and II. He is described as being 'the oldest, and as they say the cunningest jockey in England; one day he lost 1,000 gs., the next he won 2,000, and so alternately. He made as light of throwing away 500_l._ or 1,000_l._ at a time, as other men do of their pocket money, and was perfectly calm, cheerful and unconcerned when he lost a thousand pounds as when he won it.' This may be true, but I find no record of his running for any such large sums in any match. 'April 6, 1708. Mr. Frampton's Monkey and Mr. Cotton's Snap, 100 Guineas. Ap. 27. Sir Cecil Bishop's Quaker and Mr. Frampton's Monkey 200 guineas. Ap. 28. Mr. Minchall's Cork and Mr. Frampton's Trumpeter 500 guineas. Oct. 1, 1709. Mr. Pullen's Slouch against Mr. Frampton's White Neck 200 g's. 5 Oct. Mr. Frampton's Teller against L'd Dorchester's Colt, 200 g's.' And even his sporting bid in Sept. 1713 was not for high stakes, although he challenged dukes to compete. 'Mr. Frampton that keeps the Queen's Running Horses, has made a Sporting Proposal to three Dukes, allowing them to joyn their Stables, and Name to him any 6 Horses or Mares (the Horse called Wyndham[379] excepted) against 6 of his now in his Stables ... they are to run for 100_l._ each horse,' etc. [Footnote 379: Belonging to the Duke of Somerset.] Thus we see he owned many horses, but the most famous of all was one named Dragon, to whom it is alleged Frampton behaved with cruel barbarity. On Oct. 30, 1712, Dragon ran against Lord Dorchester's Wanton for three hundred guineas, and on April 22, 1713, encountered the redoubtable Wyndham for the same stakes. His alleged mutilation and death are told by Dr. John Hawkesworth in No. 37 of _The Adventurer_. There is no record of his death, but in an old song, called '_Newmarket_ Horse Race,' belonging to the early part of George the First's reign, it says-- For I'll have the brown Bay, if the blew bonnet ride, And hold a thousand Pounds of his side, Sir; _Dragon_ would scow'r it, but _Dragon_ Grows old; He cannot endure it, he cannot, he wonnot now run it, As lately he could: Age, age, does hinder the Speed, Sir, which would infer that Dragon was old and worthless as a racer before his death, and the other story falls to the ground.